Mandy Moore Just Checked Off a Huge Bucket List Goal

The This Is Us star is a bit of a badass.

The This Is Us star shared her journey on Instagram, saying it’s been a dream of hers since she was 18. She summited the famous 5, 895 metre mountain in Tanzania with her fiancé and friends. Here’s how it all went down (or up).

How Mandy Moore climbed Mount Kilimanjaro

Moore climbed the mountain with the help of Lynsey Dyer, a freestyle and big mountain skier. “She helped guide us to the top of this beautiful mountain; an integral part of this climb and this team. She’s an absolute bad-ass in all things big mountain freeskiing and in life,” she wrote on Instagram.

Moore toughed out some crazy conditions to finish the job. “On the night of our ascent to the summit, we woke up at 11p.m. (after a few hours of napping) to enjoy a couple of nervous minutes together with a cup of coffee before it was time to gear up in our warmest layers and start the nearly 8 hour trek to highest point in Africa — 19, 341 ft.,” says Moore. “In total darkness, we took it pole pole (slow slow) and trudged through rain, sleet and snow, where seemingly everything on our person managed to freeze (water bottles, backpacks, our eyelashes, hair, fingers, toes, etc…)”

Though it was challenging (note: she climbed 4, 000 feet on an “easy day”), she said she’s never felt more motivated. “Oddly, I’ve never felt more determined to tackle such a physical challenge before and yet the combined elements of exhaustion and extremely cold weather made it much trickier than any of us were prepared for.”

Despite the challenges, the payoff was worth it. “All of that aside, ultimately reaching the threshold of the true summit was more emotional and overwhelming than I had thought possible,” says Moore. “Kilimanjaro demands a lot from those who traverse her trails. You have no choice but to show up. And we did. There’s nothing more empowering than realizing that we are all capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for.”

Moore also reflected on missing the mountain, the daily rituals and inside jokes that came with the journey — and the mindfulness. “We were only tasked with one goal every day: to find our breath and put one foot in front of the other. No distractions, no other responsibilities. How liberating! Our phones didn’t work and it forced us all to be completely available to the practice and meditation of being present — with one another and with the climb,” she says.

The experience was more than just a goal to accomplish. It led to a great deal of personal reflection and gratitude, says Moore. “I’m endlessly amazed and grateful to my body for getting me up that mountain. I’m grateful to share a deeper bond with some of my closest friends and to have made new pals that will be family for life.”

And there’s a takeaway for her everyday life, too. “I know that on days when I’m feeling especially overwhelmed with whatever lies in front of me, I can close my eyes, remember Kilimanjaro and pole pole. Slow and steady does win the race.”